Load binder



Aug. 21, 1951 E. M. SMITH LOAD BINDER Filed Jan. 16, 1947 Patented Aug.21, 1951 LOAD BINDER Ellsworth Moore Smith, Baltimore, Md., assignor toThe Canton Cast Products Company, Canton, Qhio, a corporation of OhioApplication January 16, 1947, Serial No. 722,443

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to tensioning devices and particularlyto load binders or tension-pull loaders for use with a chain or similarmeans to bind a load of logs and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved load binder bywhich a chain can be tightened on throw of the binders lever arm ineither direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved load binder inwhich certain of a plurality of relatively movable chain engaging hookscan be held against relative movement for locking the binder in loadbinding position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a load binder embodying the presentinvention, the load binder being shown in open position and applied tothe opposite ends of a load encircling chain,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the binder of Figure 1 in closedposition with portions broken away, and

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the lever of the binder with thehook attachments removed and part of the handle broken away, the leverbeing shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring now in detail to the drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention and in which like reference charactersdesignate like parts, the improved load binder has a lever I0. Adjacentone end, the lever is offset and bifurcated to provide a pair of spacedarms I I, the outer ends of which are formed as a pair of aligned hooksI2. While the arms II may be spaced throughout their length, the upperedge of the lever preferably extends between and connects the armsalmost to their hooked ends, thus forming a downwardly opening U-shapedbifurcation, slot or channel I3 defined in part by the arms.

On the offset portion of the lever, inwardly of its hooked end, areprovided a pair of outwardly facing trunnions I4 through which the endsof a clevis or yoke I5 are pivotally connected to the lever.Intermediate the trunnions or pivot of the clevis and the hooked end I2of the lever, with its inner end received or seated within the 2 slotI3, is an arm or linkage I6 which is pivotally attached to the leverthrough a pin I! or like means.

Adjacent their outer or free ends the clevis I5 and the arm I6 areprovided with hooks I8 and I9, respectively. These hooks are preferablyswivelly secured to their associated members, as 'by the swivellymounted eyelets 20, and may be connected to the eyelets either directlyor through links 2 I, depending upon the spread desired.

As shown in Figure 1, the clevis I5 and the arm I6 are preferablypierced adjacent their outer ends to provide openings or holes 22 and23, respectively. From Figure 2 it will be seen that these openings arepositioned to align with corresponding openings in the lever when theload binder is completely closed. Of the latter openings, one mayconveniently be that defined by the concave inner faces of the hooks I2and the other an opening 24 piercing the arms II adjacent their innerends. With this construction it is possible to lock either or both ofthe pivoted members I5 and I6 against pivotal movement relative to thelever by inserting a locking pin 25 through one or both of the sets ofaligned openings one set being the opening 22 in the clevis and theinner faces of the hooks I2, and the other openings 23 in the arm and 24in the lever. Such a locking pin may conveniently be formed of a cotterpin attached to the lever by a connecting chain 26 of convenient scope.

In binding together a load of logs and the like it is customaryto'encircle the logs with a chain 21. After the logs have been soencircled the load binder is applied. In applying the binder, the hookI9 secured to the arm I6 is first engaged in a link in one of the free'ends of the chain. As will 'be apparent, this hook remains inengagement with the chain and serves as the anchor for the binderthroughout the subsequent operations or movements of the latter. Withthe binder in the open position of Figure 1, the chain is then stretchedmanually to the extent practicable and the hook I8 engaged in thenearest link in the other end of the chain. The lever III is then thrownor moved to the closed position illustrated in Figure 2, the inner endsof the clevis and arm, in process, reversing position. By this operationthe slack in the chain 21 is reduced by substantially twice the spacingbetween the pivoted ends of the clevis and arm. At this stage thenearest link in the loose portion of the end of the chain engaged by thehook l8 secured to the clevis I5 is inserted sideways in the hooks I2 ofthe arms H and the next higher link in the chain slid edgewise in thespace between the hooks. With one end of the chain 21 thus gripped bythe hooks l2 and the other end still engaged by the hook l9 secured tothe arm [6, the lever to is thrown or moved in the opposite directionuntil it again assumes the open position shown in Figure 1. In processthe slack in the chain 21 is further reduced by substantially twice thedistance between the pivot pin I! and the hooks l2. At the same timetension is shifted from the hook [8 on the clevis to the hooks l2forming the hooked end of the lever, enabling the former to bedisengaged from the chain. After the lever has again reached openposition a second bite is taken on the chain by reengaging the hook [8with the nearest link in the adjacent end ofthe chain and the lever isthen thrown for a second time to closed position, releasing in processthe hooks l2 and enabling them to take another bite on the chain afterthe lever has reached closed position. Thereafter these steps arerepeated as often as necessary to eliminate slack from the chain 26 andbind the load tightly together.

The last throw of the lever in tightening the chain is preferably toclosed position. At that point, the opposite ends of the chain areengaged by the hooks l8 and i9 and the clevis and arm are folded alongthe lever with the sets of locking pin receiving openings in the clevisi5, arm l5 and lever H) in alignment. A locking pin 25 is then insertedin one or both of the sets of openings to interlock the lever and one orboth of the pivoted members against pivotal movement and thus lock theload binder in binding position.

To release the load the locking pin is removed and the lever arm throwntoward open position. As the lever approaches open position a link inthe loose portion of the end of the chain engaged by the hook I8 isgripped by the hooks S2. The throw of the lever to open position is thencompleted relieving the hook I-B from tension and enabling it to bereleased. The lever is next thrown toward closed position with one endof 7 the chain engaged by the hooks 12, further slackening the chain.Before reaching closed position the hook i8 is reengaged and the throwthen completed, thereby transferring the load from the hooks I2 to thehook I3 and enabling the former to be released. These operations arerepeated in sequence until the tension on the chain has been releasedsufficiently to enable the load binder to be disengaged and the chainremoved from the load.

From the foregoing detailed description of the invention it will beapparent that there has been provided an improved load binder ofrelatively simple and rugged construction which is capable of increasingthe tension applied to chain on throw of its lever arm in eitherdirection. Since one of the hooks, that carried by th arm l6, remains inengagement with the chain to which it is applied throughout bothtensioning and releasing operations, the improved load binder isadaptable as well to the tightening of fences and like operations as tothe tightening of a load binding chain. It should be understood that thedescribed and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the inventionand that all modifications" are intended to be included which departneither from the spirit of the invention nor the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A load binder comprising a lever having a slotted end portionterminating in a, bifurcated hooked end, a clevis pivotally embracingsaid end portion inwardly of said hooked end, hook means secured to theouter end of said clevis, an arm pivotally attached to said lever withinsaid slotted end portion and intermediate the pivot of said clevis andsaid hooked end, and hook means secured to the outer end of said arm,said lastnamed hook means being grippable with one end of a chain, andsaid hooked end and first-named hook means being sequentially grippablewith the opposite end of said chain for tightening said chain on throwof said lever in either direction.

2. A tensioning device comprising a lever having a bifurcated hookedend, a clevis pivotally attached to said lever inwardly of said hookedend, hook means, means swivelly securing said hook means to the outerend of said clevis, an arm pivotally attached to said lever intermediatethe pivot of said clevis and said hooked end, second hook means, andmeans swivelly securing said second hook means to the outer end of saidarm.

3. A load binder comprising a lever having a hooked end, a clevis memberpivotally attached to said lever inwardly of said hooked end, a hooksecured to the outer end of said clevis, an arm member pivotallyattached to said lever intermediate the pivot of said clevis and saidhooked end, a hook secured to the outer end of said arm member, andmeans carried by said lever and engageable with one of said members andsaid lever for locking said lever and member against relative movement.

4. A load binder comprising a lever having a bifurcated hooked end, aclevis member pivotally embracing said lever adjacent its hooked end, ahook, means swivelly securing said hook to the outer end of said clevismember, an arm member pivotally attached to said lever within saidbifurcation intermediate the pivot of said clevis and said hooked end, asecond hook, means swivelly securing said second hook to the outer endof said arm member, and means carried by said lever and engageable witheither of said members for locking said lever and member againstrelative movement.

5. A load binder comprising a lever having an end portion offsettherebelow and terminating in a bifurcated hooked end, said end portionhaving a downwardly opening slot, a clevis member pivotally embracingsaid end portion intermediate longitudinal ends of said slot andinwardly of said hooked end, an arm member pivotally attached to saidlever within said slot intermediate the pivot of said clevis member andsaid hooked end, a hook associated with each of said members, means forswivelly securing each of said hooks to a free end of the associated ofsaid members, said hooks being engageable with links adjacent oppositeends of a load-encircling chain, said lever when thrown in one directiontightening said chain, enabling a, loose portion of the end of saidchain engaged by said clevis-secured hook to be gripped by said hookedend and, when thrown in the opposite direction, with the chain thenengaged by said arm-secured hook and said hooked end, further tighteningsaid chain.

6. A load binder comprising a lever having a bifurcated hooked end, ahook, means for pivotally and swivelly attaching said hook to said leverin- Wardiy of said hooked end, a second hook, means for pivotally andswivelly attaching said second hook to said lever intermediate the pivotof said first hook and said hooked end, said second hook being grippablewith one end of a load-encircling chain and said hooked end and saidfirst hook being sequentially grippable with the opposite end of saidchain for tightening said chain on throw of said lever in eitherdirection.

ELLSWORTH MOORE SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

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